Work Text:
"Joey Drew, you are testing my damn patience."
Sammy hissed to himself as he buried his head in his hands, and swore, hearing the wet growl of the pump in his office. The constant sucking, squelching, pumping noise of thick ink, rattling along the pipes, driving Sammy insane bit by bit. He wanted to tear out his own hair, and use it to plug up the damned pipes, and if it wasn't enough? He'd shove Joey's head up there! Make him hear that noise, that disgusting, unending noise, all day long!
Calm down, Sammy, the musician thought to himself, stroking his hair. Just go ahead and take a break.
He stood up, rubbing his head, and then squeezing his neck. What a headache. It was a common occurrence nowadays, with the damn ink machine, and all the late nights, and all the coffee he had been drinking to make up for those late nights.
Sometimes that coffee'd have a little something stronger to go with it... Susie always was good at sneaking in booze to the studio. It took the edge off of everyone's job, hers especially. She always sounded so much softer, and sweeter, when she wasn't stressed.. or when she happened to be sedated.
But Sammy wasn't looking for his coffee cup, no, he wasn't hunting down the coffee machine for another drink.
He was searching for peace and quiet.
And he knew exactly where to find it.
The musician crept towards the stairs, to see if Norman was up at the projector. No? Perfect. Absolutely... perfect.
He switched it on, then made a mad dash down, playing his favorite song, a little ditty he had made himself. His secret song. Sammy's Secret Sanctuary Song. Mm. It had a nice ring to it, didn't it? He went for the piano first, then the pluck of the banjo, the bold strum of the bass, and lastly, the drum to end it.
There. His door, opening wonderfully, ready and welcoming to Sammy, his sanctuary! His peace and quiet! His-
-coworkers?!
Sammy could only stare, dumbfounded, at the sight before him. Wally, Norman, Jack, and Henry, all crammed in his wonderful little hideout, chatting with one another! Chatting! As if this weren't a, a complete and absolute disrespect for Sammy's wonderful privacy! They had come barging into his space, like a pack of ragamuffins, like a bunch of possums, and they had the audacity to just sit there and stare at him?! The musician took a stock of who all had been taking part in this, this... depraved activity. There was Norman, tapping his boot, listening to Henry (smoking! in his place!) and Wally gossiping about Thomas Connor and his apparent crush on Allison. Jack Fain was sitting on the toilet's closed lid, pen in mouth as he wrote up something.
It took them a moment to realize Sammy was watching.
"And then, you know what he does? Huh?"
"Wally-" Henry motioned to the open door.
"He puts his arm around her shoulders! His whole arm!"
"Wally, uh-"
"I'm tellin' you, if these two keep on being all lovey-dovey around this place,"
"Wallace T. Franks."
The young man froze, his frizzy, ginger hair all over the place as his expression moved from excitement to horror when Sammy called out his name. Wally shrank a little lower, and his mouth widened in a big, sheepish grin as he laughed nervously.
"Uh- haha- you know what? If Joey finds out I didn't clean up his office, I'm outta here! See ya!" Wally scuttled out of the room, fixing his hat. And Sammy glared at him as he left, narrowing his eyes at Norman, and Henry, and Jack, who was still writing, nose buried in his book.
"I'm ashamed of you." Sammy started. "Really? In my sanctuary?"
"We all need a little 'sanctuary' sometimes, Sams." Norman leaned against the wall, coolly crossing his arms. Henry took the cigarette out of his mouth and sighed, putting it out.
"He's right, you know." Henry shook his head. "Joey's been hard on all of us lately."
"Wouldn't you know that? After all, you are his little pet, hmm, Henry?" Sammy took a step closer, and another, watching Norman back up against the wall and glare. "And you, Norman, don't think nobody knows you aren't watching."
"Please." Norman huffed. "I know things about everyone, you included, that'd set Joey right off his rails."
"Do you, now?"
"Sure do." The projectionist narrowed his eyes, and his lip curled in the slightest hint of a smile. "And I know you wouldn't want Joey to know about those.. well.. things, now, do you?"
"What things?" Sammy's eyes darted to Henry, then to Norman, who rested his gaze on Jack. And the black-haired man was still writing his lyrics, like he didn't care, reaching up a hand to scratch at his ponytail before he tapped his pencil against his chin.
"Sammy."
"You wouldn't."
"Try me."
"Argh! Argh, I-" Sammy ripped his gaze from the three men, and saw Henry tilt his head, curious, no, no! No- he was not finding out about- he wasn't going to- "Norman. Henry. Get out."
"I'll be back, later, Sams, we gotta talk about-"
"OUT! NOW!"
That was enough of a warning for Henry, who lifted himself off his stool and stepped outside. And Norman, who bent by Sammy on the way out, and growled, "You gotta be a little more considerate of us, yeah? We're all between Joey's teeth, ya know."
Sammy only shot the man a glare as he left, his spurs jangling with the click of his boots, rhythmic, telling. And then he lifted his arms up, and yanked down the hood of the little private compartment, and sighed when it was shut. So quiet. So good. The sound of the pump, drowned away, gone. Just Sammy, and-
"..Jack."
"Mmm."
"Jack Fain, Jack Fain." Sammy rolled the name over his tongue. He approached the shorter man, and whipped the hat off his head, making him flinch and look up. "Hey!"
"Got your hat."
"I can see that." Jack mumbled, looking down at his notebook, touching his stubble with his pencil. "Sammy, these lyrics just aren't turning out right."
"Mmm." Sammy hummed, replacing the hat and dragging his stool closer to Jack. He sat down, peering over to look at the notebook, and- ah! A song for one of the newer episodes! Boris the Wolf was always a favorite of the audience- Sammy included. He loved the music to go along, mischievous, sometimes dark, sometimes upbeat, always fun. And, well.. Jack was a fellow musical talent. Hardly bad company for him in his sanctuary. "Let's take a look, yeah?"
"Thanks, Sammy." Jack leaned against Sammy's side, and Sammy leaned into him likewise. "Oh, you're the best!"
"You flatter me," Sammy chuckled, rubbing Jack's head. "Now, really. Let's see, shall we?"